Introduction

Teaching young children to recognize their feelings and regain self-control is an essential part of their development. By learning to identify their emotions and physical sensations, kindergarten students can take steps to get back in control and maintain a positive learning environment. In this blog post, we will discuss a simple, no-prep activity for educators to help their students develop this vital skill, as well as provide discussion questions and related skills to further enhance their understanding.

No-Prep Activity

For this no-prep activity, you can use a regular classroom session to help students practice regaining self-control. Whenever you notice a student showing signs of losing self-control, such as being restless, tired, or hungry, pause the class and guide them through the following steps:

1. Ask the student to take a deep breath and close their eyes for a moment.
2. Encourage them to think about how they feel and what their body is telling them. Are they hungry or thirsty? Do they feel hot or cold? Are they moving slowly or really fast?
3. Once the student has identified their feelings, help them take steps to regain control. This might involve getting a drink of water, having a snack, or simply taking a short break to stretch or move around.
4. After the student has taken action, ask them to reflect on how they feel now and whether they are more in control.

This activity can be repeated throughout the day as needed, providing students with ongoing opportunities to practice recognizing their feelings and taking steps to regain self-control.

Discussion Questions

Use these discussion questions to encourage further exploration of the topic:

• Why is it important to recognize our feelings and physical sensations when we start losing self-control?
• What are some strategies we can use to help regain self-control when we feel overwhelmed or out of control?
• How does regaining self-control help us become better learners and classmates?
• Can you think of a time when you noticed you were losing self-control and took steps to regain it? How did it make you feel?
• Why is it helpful to share our feelings and strategies for regaining self-control with our friends and teachers?

Related Skills

Learning to recognize feelings and regain self-control is just one aspect of a broader set of skills known as Social-Emotional Learning (SEL). Other related skills for kindergarten students include:

• Identifying and expressing emotions in a healthy way
• Developing empathy and understanding the feelings of others
• Building positive relationships with peers and teachers
• Practicing listening and communication skills
• Developing problem-solving and decision-making abilities

Next Steps

Helping students develop their self-control and other SEL skills is an ongoing process that requires consistent practice and reinforcement. To access free sample materials for promoting these skills in your classroom, visit Everyday Speech’s sample materials page. By incorporating these resources into your teaching, you can support your kindergarten students in becoming more self-aware, resilient, and successful learners.